Monthly Archives: November 2010

A while back I attended a panel discussion with Charles N. Li and a few Baruch faculty. When I was initially invited to this panel I was excited because I was under the impression that the panel would be focusing mainly on the book The Bitter Sea by Charles N. Li, which was our summer reading assignment and a book that I enjoyed. So you can imagine my disappointment when I found out that instead it was going to be a panel about identity.

At first I felt mislead and was disappointed but as the panel began and I heard what Mr. Li had to say about his identity and what impact it had on him, I began to enjoy it. It was interesting to hear how he ended up absorbing a new identity with each new setting. It also got me to start thinking about my own identity.

The discussion was very pleasant and enriching. I hope that in the future I would be able to attend another event like this. Who knows, maybe next time it will be me up on that stage talking about my identity!

The other day me and my crew of comrades headed off to a workshop by the STARR Career Development Center. Prior to going to the workshop me and many others were doing the usual complaining about why do we have to go to these workshops and yada yada yada.

However, I believe most of us left there with a totally different attitude. Personally I found this to be very helpful and really wished that I gone to a workshop like this before going to my first interview, because it would have been very helpful and helped me to avoid some things I might have done wrong.

This was a great workshop that helped me tone up my resume and be aware of the offerings of the STARR website and office. I look forward to using this free service to help me in the future.

I found the Career Exploration workshop was very interesting because it provided resourceful information about resume writing and job searching. Not finding a job has always been one of my biggest fears. It has periodically crossed my mind, that I may not have the necessary skills to have a fighting chance in the competitive workforce of today. I felt that I would easily be overlooked by potential employers because I lacked enough credentials. Even though I will be building my credentials as I go, I may not have the necessary connections to secure a job.

But my heart is at ease now, knowing that if all else fails, the Star Career Development Center has a Star Search button that can easily match me up with a potential employer. I will find this tool very handy when I apply for internships for the summer. I am very grateful that Baruch College has organized this workshop and would attend any similar workshops.

The Bitter Sea was the summer reading of Baruch College freshmen students of 2010. The book was linked to a panel discussion with the author, Charles N. Li. Initially, I felt the discussion would be rather dry and dull. But it provided interesting insights that were not apparent in the book.

The book was about the journey and the hardships that Li had to overcome to reach his life today. He spoke about his identity and its constant adaptation to reality. As he changed settings from each event in his life, he absorbed a unique identity. The end of his journey to America and his experiences created a refined character. His insights inspired a curiosity of what my identity could be.

Even though I did not have the chance to talk to him personally, I feel he has impacted me in my search for my own identity. I will always think back to his panel discussion when I think about who I really am.

The one thing that teenagers are afraid to start – work. The work that I speak of is not homework, classwork, or any type of easy schoolwork. I’m talking about a career, an office job, a type of employment. This career exploration workshop that I attended had shown different aspects of searching for a job.

I had visited the STARR career website about a month ago in search for a job. I had not filled out a resume, nor had I been prepared to fully fill out my profile on the website; however, I did create an account and tried the search engine. I found it to be one of the best ways in finding a job. Not only does it give you a broad list of jobs, it also specifies which jobs you are eligible for depending on the information you input on your profile. Fortunately I have already found a job – currently employed at RR Donnelley Financial Services.

I found this workshop to be extremely beneficial. The STARR group had precisely went through procedures of searching for a job, writing a resume, and preparing for an interview. I found the process in writing a resume the most beneficial because it was slightly different from what I had in high school. The procedure that the STARR group showed us was a bit more detailed and “flashy.” I was able to think of more things to fill in on my resume after I attended this workshop. I would definitely attend more workshops in the future if needed.